The Congress party has refused to openly welcome the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and several other allied organizations. On 28th September 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs banned these organizations for a period of five years starting from immediate effect. Congress party issued a statement on the development, but the statement issued by the party did not openly welcome the move by the central government. It did not clearly mention the radical organization and why it is banned.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary (communications) of the All India Congress Committee, issued an official statement on 28th September 2022, that reads, “The Congress party has always been and will continue to be against all forms and types of communalism – the majority, minority makes no difference. Congress’ policy has always been to fight uncompromisingly all ideologies and institutions that abuse religion to polarise our society, that misuse religion to spread prejudice, hate, bigotry, and violence. This fight is of utmost priority to preserve, protect, and celebrate the secular and composite construct of our society and nationhood.”
कांग्रेस पार्टी हमेशा से सभी प्रकार की सांप्रदायिकता के खिलाफ रही है।
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 28, 2022
कांग्रेस की नीति हमेशा से बिना किसी डर के, बिना किसी समझौते के सांप्रदायिकता से लड़ने की रही है।
श्री @Jairam_Ramesh, सांसद और महासचिव (संचार), भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस का वक्तव्य:- pic.twitter.com/3gGildAuw1
Though the Congress party’s statement does not mention any of the banned organizations including PFI, its leaders have shown through their statements that they want a similar action against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Congress Lok Sabha Member of Parliament Kodikunnil Suresh compared the radical outfit PFI to RSS.
He said, “We are also demanding a ban on RSS also. PFI ban is not a remedy. RSS is also indulging in communalism across the country. RSS is spreading Hindu communalism everywhere. RSS and PFI are equal. So, the government should ban both. Why only PFI? RSS is doing majority communalism. Wherever RSS is spreading majority communalism, minority communalism is also coming up. Ultimately, both communalism is dangerous.”
Kerala | We demand for RSS also to get banned. #PFIban is not a remedy, RSS is also spreading Hindu communalism throughout the country. Both RSS & PFI are equal, so govt should ban both. Why only PFI?: Kodikunnil Suresh, Congress MP & Lok Sabha Chief Whip, in Malappuram pic.twitter.com/nzCVTImWw4
— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2022
Sheikh Bashir Ahmed is the provincial secretary of the National Conference. He claimed that the PFI has minimal influence across the country. He said, “PFI is an organization having no significant influence at any place. The organization is not much known in the whole country. But, as the existence of the organization has come to light recently and as it is known that it was working against the security interests of the country, then banning this organization is not a bad thing. But the time frame of 5 years is not convincing. What would be the situation after five years?”
He further said, “No one should be allowed to play with the security concerns of the country, but there should not be selectiveness in the action. Even RSS was banned once upon a time. But after that RSS went on to grow and today it says that we are the biggest patriots in the world. Even their activities are not good. The things they are preaching should also be kept watch upon. And these things are not hidden from anyone. They are breaking the nation. Their activities in the country are not good. They should also be checked.”
Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPIM), on the other hand, started demanding action against RSS hours before the ban was imposed on PFI and other organizations. The ban order was issued on 28th September 2022. A day before that, on September 27, CPIM issued a press statement.
This is a deliberate effort to vitiate communal peace in the state and create communal polarization. The LDF government has been taking firm action against the violent activities of all extremist organisations. https://t.co/mRQ4cWQEZd
— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) September 27, 2022
In the press release, CPIM stated, “The BJP President, J. P. Nadda, has said Kerala is becoming a hotspot of terrorism. This false accusation cannot cover up the fact that political violence in Kerala is being perpetuated by killings and retaliatory killings indulged in by the RSS and the Popular Front of India (PFI). This year itself, there have been four deaths due to killings and retaliatory killings by workers of these two organizations in the Alappuzha and Palakkad districts. This is a deliberate effort to vitiate communal peace in the state and create communal polarization. It would be better for the BJP President to advise the RSS not to engage in such provocative activities. The LDF government has been taking firm action against the violent activities of all extremist organizations.”
It is notable that, on September 27, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India banned the Islamist organization Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associated or affiliated fronts with immediate effect for a period of five years by exercising its powers under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA).
